Jurgen Klopp has conceded he has to make Anfield a place his players never want to leave... starting with Emre Can.

The Germany international midfielder is out of contract in the summer, and it looks increasingly likely he will leave on a free transfer, with the likes of Juventus and Manchester City showing interest.

Coming so soon after the departure of Philippe Coutinho, that would be not only a blow to the manager in his attempts to keep together such a promising young side, but also to the image of Liverpool as a football club.

The Reds have shown in recent weeks they are the most obvious challengers to Manchester City in the coming years, but as he prepared to visit Swansea, Klopp admitted he can’t afford to let many more top players leave.

“There are other places with football clubs. Players can want to leave. That can and probably will still happen in the future,” he explained.

Klopp arrives at Liverpool Airport as he gets set to head to Swansea

Coutinho left for Barcelona earlier this month (Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Can arrives at Liverpool Airport ahead of the flight to Swansea

“It is not a big problem, but we can’t let it happen too often. Let me say it like this. We have to make it difficult for them to leave here.

“We have to create a situation where players want to stay.”

Can has become a key player for Liverpool in the absence of skipper Jordan Henderson, with the young midfielder emerging as one of the most promising in European football.

He was a key figure in the victory over Manchester City, a win that showed in the coming seasons Klopp has the talent at his disposal to emerge at the club most likely to take on Pep Guardiola’s Champions in waiting.

But with contract talks stalled and the player just six months away from walking out for nothing, Klopp admitted that he may leave. But if he does, the manager will still select him until the end of the season.

Can is a key figure for Liverpool right now

Can was key in Liverpoool's win over Manchester City (Image: Shaun Botterill)

Firmino heads off to Swansea

Milner joins the squad at Liverpool Airport

“He is here in the moment and that is the most important thing. For me, there is no problem,” he explained.

“If Emre plays like he is in the moment – especially with the injury of Hendo – playing pretty much all the time, which is really difficult.

“For 60, 70 minutes he was outstanding against City. Impressive and stuff like that. We will see what happens. In this age group maybe not all of them are one-club players.”

Van Dijk has been enjoying his time with Liverpool so far

Lallana arrives at the airport alongside the rest of the squad

Mignolet will be hoping to win his starting berth back

While Can is one headache for the manager, he has at least seemed to solve another one, with Sadio Mane returning to the sort of form against City that made him a world class prospect.

The winger has suffered a dip in the past month, and Klopp explained he simply sat the player down, and talked him through everything good in his game.

“Of course we had talks and I like to be honest - I don’t want to say Sadio was brilliant when he wasn’t,” the manager explained.

“Everyone could see that he struggled a bit here, it didn’t look like it was too easy for him. After the Everton game when he didn’t pass the ball, everybody made a big criticism of him.

Oxlade-Chamberlain wore a club cap as he set off for Swansea

Firmino was listening to music as he travelled ahead of Monday Night Football

Woodburn is back with the Liverpool first-team squad

“I didn’t mention it at half-time, I didn’t mention it after the game, it was not mentioned in any meeting because I saw in Sadio’s eyes that if he could turn the clock backwards he would do it.

“At that moment he was convinced he would score, but sometimes you have to accept that these decisions are wrong. I accept it, you have to accept it as well. You cannot play football without mistakes. He didn’t want to do it. Now he is completely different again.”

Mane’s goal against City was a world class finish, and the manager revealed it is all about belief. “How can I say to you what I told the player in a one-to-one meeting, it is not possible.

Mane's shot flies into the top corner against City (Image: REUTERS)

Mane celebrates his goal, which was Liverpool's third of the game (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

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“But it was about what he did so far. Good, good, good, good, good. One or two things not that good, but the rest good. So let’s build on that and ignore the rest. That is how life is.

“You cannot think all the time about your mistakes because that makes no sense. You cannot forget all the good things. We are all a bit like that and sometimes people need help to realise again the good situation.

“Since then he is now really back, he works hard, he protects the ball, no risky dribbling and he is a world class player. The two goals he scored – I don’t know a lot of players who could have scored these goals.”

Klopp has Virgil van Dijk, Daniel Sturridge and Alberto Moreno back in his squad and Henderson could also return.